The one thing that hasn't been mentioned about Dark_AleX's 3.02 OE-A is how you actually pronounce it. Phonetically, "OEA" could be prounounced as "Oh Yeah!" Doesn't that sound like a fitting callsign for custom firmware?

Here's another reason to be in the "Oh Yeah!" spirit: Over at the PSP-Haxors website, Chaos Zero has released his easy installers for 3.02 OE-A and Devhook 0.51.0100. The OE-A easy installer lets you install the firmware and a recovery folder for OE-A, while the Devhook installer lets you put the latest version of Devhook up, along with a custom Eboot from Chaos Zero. He does make a note for SE/OR users, however: "To use DevHook, you must set your GAME folder to 1.50 kernel in the Recovery Menu."

Of course, before you can go using this to emulate PS1 games on your handheld, it's time for the ever-popular announcements. Even though it's an easy installer, you'll want to make sure you know how to use these things or you could end up messing your settings. This is especially noteworthy as the installers don't actually come with a readme, so check their site or our forums for additional info on manual installation or on using this easy installer.

One thing to note that if not installed properly or if you have installed custom files to our flash in the past, there is a chance that you might brick your PSP so please make sure you are aware of the proper procedure and any requirements before trying this. In the mean time, here's one last thing mentioned in the actual OE-A installers before you do anything. Definitely important stuff to remember:

Because this program writes to flash, you must have a 75% battery charge.

Once installed, your 1.50 Eboots will go in the GAME150 folder, 2.71 Eboots in GAME. This can be switched to 1.50 Eboots in GAME and 2.71 Eboots in GAME271 by holding R while booting the PSP.

Even if you do not plan on using 2.71 homebrew, you must have the GAME folder present.

The first thing you run on your PSP will be the "3.02 OE-A Firmware Install".

That being said, try it out, and if you need help with installing it manually and need to ask for directions, or even if you're just wondering about the difference between this and a manual install, you can learn more about the "Oh Yeah" Custom Firmware in our forums.

Note: Two readers (via comments) have reported bricking their PSP using this application. They were both running 2.71 SE-C. Please take caution and be certain its worth the risk prior to using these basic installers!

Download: [DevHook 0.51.0100 Installer]
Discuss: [3.02 OE Installation Guide, FAQ, and Support Thread]

UPDATE: Just as the title says, Dark_Alex claims that the recently released TA-082 downgrader is a fake. Chatting with jas0nuk (thanks for the heads up!), DAX mentioned a couple of reasons as to why he thought this release is not a legitimate one: "eloader don't load prxs", "the text file with keys that it generates don't seem to be used at all", "the person that creates it is not very reliable", and - probably the clincher - "the first result in google of him: a virus page".

Now, Dark_Alex is Dark_Alex and his word is always taken for the truth. TA-082 users have been waiting for this downgrader for such a loooong time now that we won't blame them if this time they take DAX's word with a grain of salt and scamper to try out this downgrader. But in the words of QJ blogger Pranav, "we don't want to be part of the confusion" and also since we don't wanna take part in you guys bricking PSPs, we decided to take down the file.

Now, we have warned you: This downgrader is a fake. If anyone does decide to go somewhere else for the files, you're doing so at your own risk.

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As some of you in the forums have noted, ChaosZero of PSP HaXors wrote about the release of a TA-082 PSP downgrader for people to use. Made by dark_thug, he notes that with the proper additional software, TA-082 units with 2.50, 2.60 and 2.71 firmware types can now switch downgrade to 1.50 or 2.71 SE-C.

Now, on to the tough bits of this little article. There are a lot of warnings that need to be given in case you feel the urge to use this app. Here's the combined weight of PSP HaXors warnings and our own:

• Some games will lock up in 2.71 SE-C.
• On 1.50, trying to change settings menu gives a Blue Screen of Death. You won't be able to change your Video Options, System Settings, etc.
• On a brighter note, the BSoD could theoretically be fixed, using an app like X-Flash to flash a new system reg from a 1.50 user! Or, while making the dump, switch the 2.50 reg with the 1.50 reg. This is risky however.
• The TA-082 Boards can also be downgraded to 2.71 SE-C! The BSoD will be gone. The catch again, you may not be able to return (to 1.50). If you can, it will most likely use the same update made to downgrade from 2.50. That still has not been tested.
• Using this to downgrade to either 1.50 or SE-C leaves you with that particular state. Attempting to upgrade, according to 0okm, will most likely brick your PSP so you probably shouldn't try it.
• We haven't tested this on our unit, so you'll be attempting this at your own risk. Make sure you know what you're doing before you try it out.
  

In any case, we wish you all the best of luck. Again, make sure you know what you're doing or you might lose your PSP. Feel free to check back on this article or on our forums for more information, as we're pretty sure everyone watches each other's backs in the homebrew scene. Take care!

Guess what? ChaosZero just made some "noob-friendly" app for the latest 2.71 custom firmware. And just how noob-friendly is it? Let's just say that if your 7 year old brother knows what a USB port and a PSP is, he can probably do this himself. Of course, provided that your brother isn't a brat whose main purpose in life is to brick your PSP but that's not the point...

Anyway, to install, just download the package you want to have on your PSP, hook your beloved handheld to your PCs USB port (using the USB cable, of course) and run the executable file. See? We told you it's that simple. But before you go and do that, here are some notes that you have to read first:

• Game menu freezing error: you must have a GAME folder and a GAME150 folder…
  Then you can boot Recovery Mode, enter Configuration, Change "Game folder homebrew" to 1.50 kernel and exit. Only after that you can make a GAME and a GAME271 folder.
  
• Game menu responding slow at times:Whenever you do an update to the ISO folder (add, delete, change files, first SE-B execution), a little delay will occur when entering in memory stick games. While the ISO folder is not changed, this won’t happen.

And here are the features of the SE-B FULL Build, SE-B New User Build, and the SE-B LITE Build:

SE-B FULL Build

• Upgrade from SE-A to SE-B
• Install 2.71 SE-B with DevHook (2.71)
• Install 2.71 SE-B with DevHook (1.50) GUI Mod and 2.71 Firmware (In SE-A, this played games 2.71’s DevHook wouldn’t)
• Just SE-B, no DevHook
• Just DevHook (2.71), no SE-B
• Install RECOVERY Folder for downgrading to 1.50.

SE-B LITE Build

• Upgrade from SE-A to SE-B
• Install 2.71 SE-B with DevHook (2.71)
• Install RECOVERY Folder for downgrading to 1.50.

SE-B New User Build

• Straight install 2.71 SE-B with DevHook (2.71).

Download: [SE-A to SE-B Update]
Download: [SE-B New User Build]
Download: [SE-B FULL Build]
Download: [SE-B LITE Build]